Bentley’s Continental GT Speed
Convertible offers unparalleled open-top oomph
Does anyone really need the ability to
travel four-up at speeds in excess of 200mph? Bentley seems to think so, Lopping
the top off its Continental GT Speed coupé to create what the Crewe firm has
dubbed ‘the world’s fastest four-seat convertible’. With a top speed of 202mph,
the Continental GT Speed Convertible certainly Lives up to its billing, but we
fear that anybody unfortunate enough to find themselves squeezed into the back
as the car approached the double ton would receive a horrific buffeting.
Does
anyone really need the ability to travel four-up at speeds in excess of 200mph?
The numbers, then, are mostly academic, as
will the price be to the typical Bentley customer. For around $255,000 you get
the 616bhp, 6-Liter W12 twin-turbo engine of the hard-top in a package that
weighs some 170kg more than the coupé version. The GT Speed Convertible sends a
maximum 590lb ft of torque to all four wheels via a slick-shifting eight-speed
ZF auto’ gearbox, and races from 0-60mph in a time of just 4.1 seconds, roaring
on to 100mph in another 5.6 seconds.
Robbing the coupé of its tin top does
affect precision marginality a slight patter through the steering is
exacerbated by dialing up the variable dampers to their firmest ‘Sport’
setting. Leave the dampers in ‘Comfort’ mode, though, and the Convertible
remains a uniquely appealing proposition.
For
around $255,000 you get the 616bhp, 6-liter W12 twin-turbo engine of the
hard-top in a package that weighs some 170kg more than the coupé version.
Predictably Luxurious interior aside, the
car’s ability to deny the forces of mass and movement are core to its allure.
Speed is effortlessly gained only the briefest, apologetic pause is encountered
before the Convertible hurts itself forward and that open top only enhances the
experience, the notes emanating from the rifled pair of exhausts arguably worth
the not insignificant premium that this car commands over the coupé.
Compared with its non-Speed cousin, it
boasts increased power from the aforementioned engine, as well as stiffer
anti-roll bars and bushes, and a 10mm drop in ride height. There’s a ‘Dynamic’
mode on the ESC system, too, though quite where you’ll find the opportunity or
space to explore its additional wheel slip is anyone’s guess.
Predictably
Luxurious interior aside, the car’s ability to deny the forces of mass and
movement are core to its allure.
No, the Continental GT Speed Convertible
does best exactly what its name suggests: grand touring, at speed, and with an
agility that belies its bulk. All in sumptuous comfort, too. Its V8 relations
are arguably the more involving, sharper driving tools in the Continental
stable but, as the firm itself admits, for many customers only the fastest,
more expensive version of the Continental will do. This car is just that and,
happily, it retains the remarkable usability that has become a signature of the
Continental range and a huge part of its appeal.
